Chapter 13

  The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.  

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  And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.  

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  And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;  

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  And when he sowed, some [seeds] fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:  

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  Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:  

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  And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.  

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  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:  

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  But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.  

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  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.  

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  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?  

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  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.  

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  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.  

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  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.  

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  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:  

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  For this people's heart is waxed gross, and [their] ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and should understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.  

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  But blessed [are] your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.  

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  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous [men] have desired to see [those things] which ye see, and have not seen [them]; and to hear [those things] which ye hear, and have not heard [them].  

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  Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.  

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  When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth [it] not, then cometh the wicked [one], and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.  

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  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;  

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  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.  

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  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.  

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  But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth [it]; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  

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  Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:  

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  But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.  

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  But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.  

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  So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?  

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  He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?  

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  But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.  

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  Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.  

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  Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:  

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  Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.  

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  Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.  

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  All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:  

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  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.  

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  Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.  

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  He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;  

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  The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked [one];  

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  The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.  

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  As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.  

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  The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;  

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  And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  

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  Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.  

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  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.  

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  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:  

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  Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.  

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  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:  

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  Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.  

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  So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,  

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  And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  

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  Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.  

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  Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe [which is] instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man [that is] an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure [things] new and old.  

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  And it came to pass, [that] when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.  

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  And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this [man] this wisdom, and [these] mighty works?  

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  Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?  

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  And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this [man] all these things?  

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  And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.  

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  And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.  

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